Rear-axle construction for motor-vehicles.



C. L. SMITH.

REAR AXLE CONSTRUCTION FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATON FILED NIAY14|19I3 Patented May 11, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

IN VEN TOR.

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/l ATTORNEY.

Wi TNESSES:

Patented May11,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- c. L. SMITH. REAR AXLE CONSTRUCTION FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I4, 1913.

' Beit knownthatf, 'CHARLS- z ED STATES IrAIEisII OFFICE.

,C'Hy-Afnnns Inpsivr'rrnor san FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

Lisanne.

To azzwhmamayoaaem: e

y L; SMITH, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at San cisco and Stateof California, haveinvente'd a vnevi/ and useful Rear Axle Constructlon 3 for Motor-Vehicles, of whichthe following is a specication, inl such full and *clear terms as will enable those skilled inthe art to construct and use the same. -f

This invention relates to a differential for motor vehicles and its object is to simplify the usual construction thereof by theelimination of afnumber of gears commonly used therein.

' Another object of the invention'is toipro# duce adifferential-which can be assembled bythe mere insertion thereinto of the driving" axle for the wheels.

An embodiment of the Invention is shown in the drawings in which the same reference" numeral! is applied to', the same portion throughout, but I am aware that there are manyl modifications thereof.

Figurel is a longitudinal sectional view of the-axle housing showing the manner ofV constructing the diiferentialFig. 2 is a'viewk on the transverse section plane4 indicated at 2-21Figf1, Fig. 3 isafview of the wheel driving 1cap,Fig.. 4l is a7 longitudinal sectional view of-a slightly modified form of the 'invention in which a link takes the place of the two gears on the ends fof the shafts, and Fig. 5 is a sectional View; on the line 5,-'5 Fig. 4.

` The'numeral 1 represents a lcylinderlike shell having a bearing at 2 for the stub shaft 3. The shell 1 has the tubular shells 4 and' 5 secured-thereto, each of said shells being more or less cone shaped and having cylindrical portions at 6 and 7 for ball bearings,

tion of the outer part ofthe axle, after. which a ring 13 is screwed on the end of the cylindrical portion 7 to hold the bearings and wheel in place, the inner bearing9 being ispeciication of Lettersatent. I

Francisco, in thecounty ofgSan Fran` f pressedi'against the adjacent coned portion of the shell4. Each wheel hub'has a cap 14 secured thereto by means of suitable bolts 15 which `cap has a square recess therein for. the headof the live axle 16.

` The live axle 16 has a squared head 17 y Patented May 11, 1915. applicati@ med' May 14, isis. serial No. 767,660.

suitably rounded tofv permit the distant .end Y thereofto move out of the axis of the wheel 'hub, v'while atthe same time `rotating said wheel hub. The inner end of the live axle 16 has gear teeth formed thereon as shown at 18 and it is j ournaled in a sleeve 19, which sleeve is supported by the bearings 8 at a distance -from the geared ends of the two *liveaxles 16. The shafts 16, or live axles, lare ]ournaled in bushings 19 forced into the 1nembers'21 and 22 adjacent the geared ends j yof saidshafts.

The sleeve 19 -is composed of two tubular members 21 and 22, each of which has an enlargement at 23' to provide for securing the other thereto. The enlarged portions 23 are bored to receive bolts 24, which bolts Y also holdA the large bevel gear 25 in place.

The large bevel gear is in mesh with a small' bevel pinion 26 carried by the stub shaft 3.

' In operation the large bevel gear 25 is rotatedand as it rotates the member 19 rotates and carries the live shafts 16 around with it,

,the inner ends of said shaft moving in a cir- `cle concentric with the axis of the wheel hubswith the center of the pinions formed thereon eccentric to said axis by an amount equal to the radius of the pitch circle of said gears.` Thls movement will cause the head 17 to move slightly in the hub caps 14, but

centricity causes said live axles to part only about one degree from the wheel hub axis. This movement makes practically no difference in the driving of the vehicle, and it permits the well known differential effect in which one wheel is permitted to rotate faster than the other should it be necessary, or both are driven straight ahead when required. In the modified form of the invention the cylindrical shell of the axle is shown at 30,

32.- The cylindrical portion of the axle has the conical shells 33 and 34 secured thereto by means ofthe bolts 35 and the ends of said shells are substantially like those in Fig., 1, but not shown in this figure. At 36 each shell is provided with a cylindrical portion for receiving suitable annular ball bearings 37, which bearings support the sleeve 38.

inasmuch as in a full sized machine the ec- 31 indicating the bearing for the stub shaft The sleeve 3S is made up of two parts 39 and 40,' substantially the same as the sleeve used in the other form of the invention, which two parts are held together by means of the bolts 4l passing through the central flanges thereof and through the flange of the bevel gear 42, which gear is in mesh with the pinion 43 on the stub shaft. J ournaled in two bearings at the center of the sleeve are two live shafts 44 and 45, said shafts being oifset at their adjacent ends by suchan amount as is necessary to 'properly drive them and each of them is provided with an cccentrically placed pin as indicated at 46. These pins are connected by means of a link 47 of such a length as to permit the rotation of said shafts, which rotation will, if the demand is made upon said shafts give the well known differential effect of allowing one Wheel to move faster than the other, but owing to the eccentric position of the inner ends of the two shafts they will be compelled to rotate the hub connected with their outer ends to drive the vehicle forward.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as tollows, modifications within the scope of the claims being expressly reserved:

l. A rear axle construction for vehicles comprising a hollow, rigid supporting axle carrying wheel hubs at its outer ends, two live axles out ci alinement with each other each having an angular head at the outer ends thereof, a cap connected with the wheel hub and operatively connecting each of said wheel hubs with the heads on the live axles, means for holding the inner ends of the live axles out of the axis of rotation of the wheel hubs, and means to connect the inner ends of said live axles to permit one to rotate C'opics of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the around and in a diderent direction from the other.

2. A rear axle construction for vehicles comprising a rigid supporting axle having a wheel hub mounted thereon at each end thereof, two live axles out of alinelnent with each other within said rigid axle, each having an angular head on its outer end, means to loosely connect each live axle with the adjacent wheel hub, means to hold the inner ends of said axles out of alineinent with the axis of rotation of the wheel hubs, a gear carried by the inner end of each live axle and in mesh with the gear on the adjacent live axle, and means to rotate said shafts to drive the wheel hubs.

3. A rear axle construction for vehicles comprising a rigid supporting axle having wheel hubs at its outer end, a revoluble sleeve within the rigid axle, means to rotate said sleeve, two live axles out vof alinement with each other extending into the sleeve, each axle having its axis out of alinement with the axis of rotation of the wheel hubs and having an angular head on its outer end,

means connected with the wheel hubs for operatively and loosely connecting the angular head with the wheel hub, and means at the adjacent ends of the two live axles for r permitting them to rotate in reverse directions when required and also to permit the inner ends of said axles to rotate around each oth er.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto set i my hand this 8th day of May A. D. l913,in

the. presence of the two subscribed witnesses.

CHARLES L. SMITH.

Vitnesses:

C. P. GRiFrrN, L. 1-1. ANDERSON.

Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. 

